The True Life of Tobias Eaton
by DivergentObsessor
Summary: Tobias Eaton is known as Four at school, the guy who is closed off and rude. He thinks life is easier without friends so he does his best to push everyone away. But all that changes when Tris Prior moves to his school. Despite his rudeness, she is determined to break through his defensive walls and be his friend. Modern day focused on Tobias rather than Tris. Rated T for abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, hello lovelies! I know I have ongoing one-shots and I normally don't write more than one thing at a time but this story line has been eating at me and I couldn't hold it in any longer. So I really hope you enjoy this, let me know what you think and if I should continue it!(:**

Tobias' POV

I stand in front of the mirror, looking at the giant bruise swallowing my side and wince as I feel how tender it is. My father went on one of his frequent rampages last night but I'm just thankful he's smart enough to put the bruises where they can be easily hidden.

"Tobias, get your ass down here! You better not be late for school or you will regret it!" My 'father' shouts up the stairs. I curse under my breath, sling my backpack over my shoulder and race down the stairs.

On my way to the front door, I spot my dad in the living room. He looks at me with disgust and says, "Get out of my sight."

I quickly do what he says, closing the front door behind me. I begin my fifteen minute walk to the school, thinking about what another shit-filled day today will be.

xXx

When I reach the school, I walk to my locker. I grab the books I need and slam it shut, walking to my first class of the day which is Chemistry. I sit alone in the back like always. I learned a long time ago that with a life like mine, it's easier to not have people who care about you so I do my best to push everyone away. People are too curious, they ask too many questions.

I'm broken out of my daze when an unfamiliar figure walks in the room. She's petite with long, wavy blonde hair and grayish blue eyes. She walks over to the teacher and Mrs. Matthews hands her some papers. The new girl turns to find a seat.

Then I realize that the only unoccupied seat in the classroom is right next to me. She makes her way towards me and hesitantly sits on the stool next to me.

"Hi, I'm Tris Prior," She tells me, holding her hand out for me to shake.

I don't want to be rude but I don't have a choice. She can't get to know me, no one can. So I glare at her hand until she drops it back into her lap. I face the front and don't look even remotely in her direction for the rest of the class.

When Chemistry ends, I suffer through Calculus and then it's lunch time. I go outside and sit under the big oak tree that I always occupy. I pull an apple from my bag and begin nibbling on it. My dad never lets me pack much food because he says he refuses to have an overweight son, even though I'm well in shape.

I feel eyes boring into the side of my head and I turn to the right to see who is staring at me. I spot shiny blonde hair and realize it's the new girl, Tris. She sits at a picnic table with Zeke and his group of friends.

Zeke is the closest thing to a friend I've ever had. I definitely wouldn't consider us friends but he's the only person who can get even remotely close to me without me glaring at him. He has such a light hearted charm that I can't stand to be mean to him. However, he knows when I'm not in the mood to be nice so it's a nice arrangement.

Tris is still staring at me and when I meet her eyes, she quickly looks away. Even from this distance, I can see her cheeks redden and for some reason, it makes me smile.

I see her say a few more words to her new friends and then I watch, completely shocked, as she gets up and begins walking towards me.

**Tris' POV**

"This is your first class. If you need help finding your other classes, just ask a student. Everyone here is friendly, I assure you," The stout principal of my new high school tells me.

I nod and smile, muttering, "Thank you." I give a small wave and head into my Chemistry classroom. I walk up to the teacher and she welcomes me, handing me a few handouts that I'll need. I mentally breathe a giant sigh of relief, she didn't make me introduce myself to the class. I turn around to find a seat and see only one unoccupied seat in the very back. I head over to it and when I see the guy next to me, I hesitantly slide into my seat. The guy has dark brown hair and mesmerizing deep blue eyes. I can see his muscles ripple in his tight shirt and realize how attractive he is.

I hold out my hand to be polite and introduce myself, "Hi, I'm Tris Prior."

He glares at my hand until I let it drop back into my lap. He turns back towards the front of the classroom and refuses to even glance in my direction. I mentally roll my eyes at his rudeness, thinking of the principal's words. _Everyone here is friendly. _Not everyone, apparently.

xXx

When Chemistry is over, I find my next class – U.S. History – easily. I'm one of the last people in the classroom and I scan the room for a seat. A pretty, dark skinned girl waves at me and pats the seat next to her. I smile gratefully and take the seat.

"I'm Christina," She tells me with a wide smile.

"I'm Tris, it's nice to meet you," I reply with a friendly smile. Thank goodness someone is nice here.

The teacher walks in and begins class which cuts off whatever Christina was about to say.

When the class is over, I grab my bag and stand up. I turn to leave but Christina grabs my wrist, spinning me back around to face her.

"It's lunch time now. You can sit with me and my friends if you want," She offers.

I smile, relieved. I hate trying to find somewhere to sit at a new school. "Are you sure?" I ask.

"Of course," She says, rolling her eyes. She grabs my wrist again and drags me behind her all the way out of the school. When we get close to a picnic table full of people, she lets go of my wrist.

"Hey guys. This is Tris, she's new and in my U.S. History class. She's going to sit with us, okay?" Christina says.

Everyone at the table nods enthusiastically. There are five people at the table, not including Christina or myself, three guys and two girls. Two of the guys look like they're brothers, maybe twins, with their brown shaggy hair. The other guy has blonde hair that is combed neatly. The two girls look similar. One of them has shoulder length brown hair and the other one has brown hair to the middle of her back.

Christina sits down and I sit next to her. She goes around the table, introducing me to all of them. I learn that the two guys are indeed brothers named Zeke and Uriah. The blonde haired guy is Will. The girl with long brown hair is Marlene and the one with short hair is Shauna.

"So Tris, have you met anyone else yet?" Marlene asks politely.

I shrug, thinking of the guy who was rude in Chemistry. "There was this one guy in my Chemistry class. He just gave me evil eyes when I introduced myself and then wouldn't look at me," I explain.

"Did he have brown hair and blue eyes?" Shauna asks.

I nod, confused, "How did you know?"

"There's only one guy who really acts like that at this school. He's like that with everyone," Will explains.

"Everyone but Zeke," Uriah inputs. I raise my eyebrows in question.

Zeke shrugs, "It's not like he's super friendly to me. He's just not rude. Kind of indifferent."

As he's talking, I spot the mystery guy sitting alone under a tree. "Does anyone know his name?" I ask, not taking my eyes off of him.

"Kind of. He goes by Four but that can't actually be his real name," Christina explains.

Four. It's an odd name, but it's full of the unknown just like him so it fits.

Suddenly, Four's head turns in my direction and our eyes meet. I quickly look down, breaking eye contact and blushing profusely.

"I'm going to go talk to him," I say, determined to understand him.

Uriah snorts, "Good luck with that."

I get up from the bench and make my way towards Four, trying to appear confident. When I reach him, I sit down next to him on the grass like we're actually friends. He looks over at me with disbelief covering his face.

"Hey," I say with a smile.

"What do you want?" He replies with a bored expression.

I shrug, "I just wanna talk."

"Yeah, well I don't. Go away," He retorts.

I don't let the sting of his words show on my face. I hold my hands up in surrender, "I'm just trying to be nice."

"I don't want you to be," He glares at me.

I ignore his comment, "I heard your name is Four. That's interesting." He only continues to glare at me.

"You really don't need to be so rude. Don't you want friends?" I inquire.

"Life is easier without friends," He replies automatically.

I shake my head. "That's not true at all. Friends are one of the reasons that life is bearable. Friends are there for you when you need to rant about something, to listen to your problems when no one else will. Friends are there to make you laugh, and embarrass you, and make you realize that you are loved, no matter what you may think. Friends don't judge you like the rest of the world, and they support you in everything you do. Friends are there for all the good times and the bad times, and everything in between. Don't you want that?" I ask softly.

Four had been looking down at his lap, fiddling with his hands during my explanation of friends. When I finish, he looks up at me from under his lashes, almost shyly it seems. "You sound like you know the feeling," He whispers.

I shrug nonchalantly, "Everyone goes through tough times. They just need help to get through them."

"I don't need anyone's help," Four tells me.

I roll my eyes, "You may think that now but you'll change your mind. I know you will. And when you do, come find me."

He glares at me again, "Don't waste your time with me."

I shake my head softly, "You don't understand. I can see that you're trying to push everyone away but it's not going to work with me. I don't care how mean you are, you aren't pushing me away. So you better get used to me, Four."

I smile at him one last time before getting up and walking back to my gaping friends.

**A/N: Please leave reviews! Let me know what you think, I don't want to keep writing this if no one likes it. Thank you for reading!(:**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much for all the positive feedback on the first chapter, it is greatly appreciated! I can't promise when the next update will be because I'm going to church camp this week. And to those of you who claimed you would die if I didn't continue this story, please don't die! As you can see, I'm continuing it!(: Anyway, I just want to quickly say happy anniversary to my wonderful parents who are constantly supportive of my writing! Now on with the new chapter! Enjoy!**

**WARNING – Abuse later in the chapter!**

Tris' POV

_I smile at him one last time before getting up and walking back to my gaping friends._

When I get back to the table with all my friends, I casually sit back down while they continue to gape at me. "What?" I ask innocently.

"He actually talked to you," Uriah says in disbelief.

"What did you guys talk about?" Christina asks.

"Not much, I was just trying to get him to stop being so cold. I kind of succeeded a little bit," I explain, biting my lip. I hope I succeeded, anyway.

"That's more progress than anyone else has had," Shauna mentions, clearly impressed.

"Maybe you'll be the person to finally bring him out of his shell," Marlene says.

I blush for some reason, "I doubt that but I'm not going to give up on him, either."

Then the bell rings and we're all rushing off to class. I happen to have Calculus with Will, Marlene, and Shauna so I walk with them to class since I have no idea where it is.

Calculus, being my least favorite subject ever, passes unbearably slow. But then I have one of my favorite classes, English, which is also my last class of the day. I find the classroom okay on my own and when I walk in, I see Zeke and Uriah in the back so I head towards them. Then I notice Four sitting in the back next to Zeke. I decide to sit directly in front of Four so I can try to talk to him but also still be able to talk to Uriah – who is in the seat beside me, in front of Zeke – and Zeke.

"Hey guys," I say, addressing all three of them, although it is clear that Four ignores me.

"Hola," Uriah and Zeke say in unison. Before an actual conversation can take place, the teacher walks in the classroom. Everyone gets quiet and the teacher begins talking.

"It's required for us to write a certain number of essays and research papers a year. I know how much all of you hate writing them, just as much as I hate grading them. Especially since some of you don't take them seriously," The teacher says, looking pointedly at Zeke and Uriah who both just grin goofily. "Anyway, so I was thinking for this research paper, you guys could work on them in pairs."

The class cheers in agreement. The teacher, Ms. Wu, smiles before continuing, "You must write a research paper on any war that the Unites States was involved in. But you don't get to pick your partners, I'm picking them."

The class groans in response and Ms. Wu only tsks. "Well, I'll give you your partners now and you can have the rest of the class to get started."

She begins to list of the pairs, "Melissa and Brendon, Zeke and Uriah since neither of you take it seriously and I won't have you mooching off people…" Everyone laughs in response and she continues down the list of pairs. Finally she reaches the end and says, "Normally, I would let you work alone since we have an odd number of people, Four but since Tris is here, you'll have to work with her." Ms. Wu looks at Four apologetically. "Get started," She adds.

I turn around in my chair so I can face Four. I open my mouth to speak but he cuts me off. "Look, I don't want to write this paper with you but I don't have a choice. We'll work on it in public places or at your house, no arguments about it. Got it?" He asks with raised eyebrows.

I huff in annoyance, "Seriously, no need to be rude. We can work on it at my house after school today if you would like."

"Fine," He says shortly.

I roll my eyes, "So what war did you want to do it on?"

"You pick," He says, looking utterly bored.

I sigh, "You're going to have to participate in this."

He leans forward quickly and says harshly, "I don't _have _to do anything but die."

I hold up my hands in surrender, "Dude, be mean all you want. It's not changing anything."

"About the research paper?" He asks, arms crossed.

"We both know you're being so mean to me because you don't want me to try to be your friend. But it's not changing anything so give up," I reply, also crossing my arms.

He glares acidly, "You're stubborn, you know that?"

"And proud of it," I say with a smirk.

We spend the remainder of class with me trying to get him to talk and him glaring harshly at me in return. When the bell finally rings, I say, "Want to follow me to my house?"

"Just give me your address, I'll find it," He says with a scowl. I knit my eyebrows together in frustration but quickly write down my address on a scrap of paper, handing it to him. He roughly jerks it out of my hand before practically storming out of class.

**Tobias' POV**

I hate being so mean to her, I _hate _it. She's doing nothing wrong, she's only trying to be nice to me and I'm so harsh to her in return. It's not right but there's nothing I can do about it. I can't afford to let anyone into my horrid life.

I put my books in my locker and slam it closed. I look at the paper with Tris' address for the first time and realize she only lives one street over. I begin my walk in that direction.

After about five minutes of walking, a car pulls up next to me, rolling down the window. "Four?" An all too familiar voice calls out. "Do you not have a car?"

"No, I walk," I respond acidly.

"Get in, I'll give you a ride to my house," Tris offers.

"Not a chance," I say, and inwardly wince at my harsh words.

"Four, if you don't get in this car, then I'm just going to drive beside you the whole way there," She threatens.

I sigh, pulling at my hair in frustration. I don't see a way out of this, she is beyond stubborn. "Fine," I practically yell, opening the door and slamming it closed behind me.

She ignores my rudeness, as per usual, and drivers to her house quickly, pulling in the driveway. We both get out and I follow her up her porch and through the front door.

"My parents work late and my brother is at the library today so it's just us," She informs me. _Great, _I think sarcastically, _I get to be alone with her. _If things were different, I would be thrilled about that. Even though I don't know much about her, I'm man enough to admit that she's very attractive and from what I've seen, is intelligent, stubborn, and very headstrong.

"Follow me," She says, breaking me out of my reverie. I follow her up a set of stairs and down a hallway, into a bedroom. "This is my room," She explains as she opens the door.

The room is relatively plain with white walls, other than several band posters adorning the walls.

"All Time Low?" I ask, pointing to one of the posters with a raised eyebrow.

"Love them. I've seen them in concert three times," She replies.

I nod approvingly, "Good taste."

She smiles at me and I realize I momentarily let my guard down. I scowl at her, "What?"

"That's the most casual you've been all day," She tells me, still smiling. I scowl even more, but more at myself for being so stupid.

"Can we just get started on the stupid paper?" I mumble.

She nods, pursing her lips and pulling a laptop out of a bag. She plops down on her bed with the laptop in hand. "We can type it on here," She suggests and I nod curtly. "So what war?" She adds.

I sigh, realizing that she's going to make me pick. "World War II?" I ask. I've always thought the war was interesting to learn about.

She smiles, "That's what I was hoping you would say." Then, I guess she notices I'm standing tensely by the door. Her eyebrows furrow and she pats the bed, "Sit down, I promise I don't bite."

I hesitate but don't see a way around it, so I sit down on the bed, as far away from her as possible while still being able to see the laptop.

We work on the paper until it is nearly done. My neck and back are stiff, and I have to stand up and stretch. I grab my phone to check the time and nearly choke. It's already 8:15 and I was supposed to be home by 7:30.

"Shit," I curse loudly, shoving the phone back in my pocket.

"What is it?" Tris asks worriedly.

"I have to go, I was supposed to be home a long time ago. Shit, shit, shit!" I yell, already heading for the door.

"Hey, calm down. Your parents should understand, right?" She says in a calming voice.

I sigh in frustration. "Sure," I say. _You go ahead and think that, _is what I want to add but don't. I literally run out of the house and all the way back to my own. When I get to the front door, I open it as quietly as possible. Maybe Marcus won't notice me.

But of course I'm never that lucky. I find him standing in the living room, staring at me expectantly. I hang my head, knowing what's coming. I walk over to him silently and stare at my feet.

"Take your shirt off," Marcus demands quietly. Too quietly. Damn, he's pissed.

I quickly do as he says, pulling the shirt over my head and dropping it by my feet. I already know his next demand before he says it, so I turn around and stand there limply, waiting for the sting of the belt.

I wait while he takes off his belt, agonizingly slow. "This is for your own good," He claims before I feel the belt bite into my skin. I grit my teeth and refuse to give him the pleasure of hearing me express my pain.

He hits me with the belt two more times, one hit for every ten minutes that I was late. When I hear him return his belt, I grab my shirt and begin to stiffly walk up the stairs to my room.

"You're such a worthless piece of shit," I hear him mumble as I ascend the stairs.

When I get to my bedroom, I walk to the bathroom that is connected and grab peroxide and cotton balls. I clean the wounds on my back the best I can on my own. Then I walk back to my bed and stiffly lay on my stomach, careful not to jostle my back too much.

This is why I can't let people be friends with me. They might find out about things like this and that can't happen. As much as I would like to be friends with Tris, and maybe even more, it can't ever happen because of my piece of shit _father._ I can't wait for the day when I turn 18 and can leave this hell hole. Unfortunately, I have a while to go, more time than I want to suffer here.

I shift, trying to find a more comfortable position, and wince when it jostles my new wounds. After years of this, I've learned that after a beating, it's nearly impossible to get comfortable and actually get some sleep.

I sigh in frustration and close my eyes, begging for sleep to take me away from this world.

**A/N: I'm so excited for this story! I must say, I'm enjoying it so far so I hope that means that you guys are also enjoying it. Please please please leave me amazing reviews to come home to! You guys are the reason I smile all the time! So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and y'all shall hear from me when I return from camp later this week! Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm back from church camp and it was AMAZING! They wouldn't tell us the WiFi password so there was no way I could update, and I had terrible phone signal all week. But it's okay because I'm updating now. I'm sorry you had to wait so long but I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Thanks for reading and please don't forget to leave me reviews!**

Tris' POV

"How was your first day of school yesterday?" My mom asks as we all sit at the kitchen table, eating breakfast.

"Mine was good. I made some friends and then we went to the library afterschool," Caleb explains. I roll my eyes at his nerdish ways.

"And you, Tris?" My dad asks.

"Pretty good. I made a lot of new friends and stuff. But I already have a research paper to do. My partner came over yesterday and we're almost finished with it," I say.

"Well, that's good," My mother says as she puts her empty plate in the sink. "You better hurry up, you don't want to be late for school."

I nod and quickly eat the last bite of my cereal before putting the bowl in the sink. I grab my book bag and my car keys, shouting a goodbye as I walk to the garage. I climb in my Dodge Avenger and drive off, heading for school.

xXx

"So how did it go yesterday? Were your parents mad?" I ask Four as I sit down in my assigned seat beside him in Chemistry.

I notice him grit his teeth before saying, "You could say that."

"So are you grounded or something?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

He turns his whole body in the chair to face me. "What makes you think you can talk to me?" Four asks coldly.

"It must be because you're so approachable," I say flatly. "You know. Like a bed of nails."

He stares at me and I don't look away. After a moment, he shakes his head and turns away from me. I notice his jaw tense in anger.

"I told you, I'm not giving up," I say defiantly, stubbornly.

"I wish you would," Four says quietly, so quietly that for a second I think I imagined it. But no, I could never imagine something like that coming from such a closed-off person. I hang on his every word because he doesn't say very many things that aren't coated in anger or rudeness.

"Why is that, Four?" I reply just as quietly.

He turns his head slightly and looks into my eyes, seemingly searching for something. Then he says, "Maybe you'll figure it out someday. Maybe not."

I sigh. "You could just tell me. Talk to me about anything, whatever you need. Everyone needs someone to listen every once in a while. You can't hold all of that burden on your own," I explain desperately, pleading for him to understand. I know there has got to be a reason for the way he is. I don't know what that reason is, and I don't think anyone does but himself. But I do know that all of that burden on one person's shoulders can push them past the breaking point.

"It's not that simple," He mutters. Before I can respond, the teacher walks in and begins class. I reluctantly turn to the front to pay attention, but vow to get him to talk to me and relieve some of his burden.

xXx

When Chemistry is over, Four leaves the room quickly, before I have the chance to say a single word. I sigh and grab my stuff, heading to U.S. History.

I reach the classroom and take my seat beside Christina without a word. She turns to face me with a questioning look, "Why so quiet?"

"I just sat down," I mumble as an excuse.

She shakes her head, "I see right through that. Something's wrong with you."

I shrug, not wanting to talk about it. What would I even say? _Four won't tell me his secret so I'm upset? _No, that would never work.

Before she has the time to drill the answer out of me, class starts.

xXx

"Don't think you're getting out of it that easily," Christina threatens as we sit down at her normal table for lunch. Everyone else is already there.

"Getting out of what?" Uriah asks with a mouthful of sandwich.

"Prison?" Zeke guesses.

Will snorts, "Does it look like she's in prison, Zeke?"

Zeke shakes his head, "No, but that doesn't mean that she's not already planning an escape for whenever it happens."

"_Whenever _it happens? You expecting her to get arrested sometime soon?" Shauna asks with raised eyebrows.

"Okay, this got way off topic," Marlene points out with a laugh.

"Tris is upset about something but won't say what," Christina clarifies for everyone.

"I am not," I say stubbornly.

"Hey Tris, you got paired with Four for the research paper, didn't you? How did that go yesterday?" Zeke asks.

I shrug, "He was rude in the class and refused to help at all. But then he came over afterschool and we got most of it done." I decide to keep the incident of him running home out of my explanation for some reason unbeknownst to me.

"He actually agreed to come over?" Shauna asks in disbelief.

"That's unusual," Will adds.

"But doesn't he normally work alone?" I say, confused.

"Sometimes. When he doesn't, he just refuses to help," Zeke explains.

The bell rings and we all rush off to class.

Strangely enough, Calculus flies by in a blur. Then, I head to English where I know I'll have to endure the period trying to get Four to cooperate. When I reach the classroom, I slide into my seat in front of Four without a word. I pull the laptop out of my book bag and open up the word document with our research paper.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around in surprise.

"How much do we have left?" Four asks quietly.

"Um… We just need a closing paragraph," I tell him hesitantly.

"That's easy enough," He responds, taking the laptop from me and placing it on his desk. I move my chair beside him so that we can both see the computer screen. I notice that he tenses slightly at my close proximity, just as he normally does.

"Why are you always so tense and stiff when people get near you?" I ask, cocking my head to the side.

"Why are you so observant?" He fires back immediately.

I shrug, "What kind of question is that? I just am."

"Well stop it," Four says coldly.

I roll my eyes, "I can't. You saying that is just going to make me subconsciously more observant."

He runs his fingers through his hair in what I assume is aggravation. "Do I annoy you?" I ask quietly.

"Not exactly," He answers shortly. After that, he ignores me and finishes typing up the rest of our paper. Then he emails it to our teacher, closes the laptop, and hands it back to me without a word.

I smile at him, "Just because our paper is over doesn't mean I'm going to leave you alone."

"Why can't you just leave me alone, huh? Can't you see that I don't want you to be my friend? Can't you see that I'm perfectly content just the way I am? What do you not understand?" Four shouts, eyes blazing with anger and frustration.

"What I don't understand," I say. "Is how you could possibly think that I would believe that. You are not happy the way you are right now. I know that and you know it too. So, just stop. Stop pushing me away."

He only stares at me for a minute. But then he says, "I can't do that." Before I can ask why, he storms out of the classroom just as the final bell rings.

**A/N: Third chapter down. Please leave me amazing reviews so that I'll want to update faster! I love you people!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello beautiful people! I'm so sorry for such a long wait. I've been super busy since school is starting soon for me, and then my internet connection has been super suckish, and most of all, I've had writer's block in writing **_**everything.**_** Even simple stuff. I didn't want to give you guys a poor chapter just because I haven't been able to focus. But don't fret, I'm here now and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review and tell me your favorite part! Love y'all!**

_**(Quick Recap)**_

Tobias' POV

"_What I don't understand," She says. "Is how you could possibly think that I would believe that. You are not happy the way you are right now. I know that and you know it too. So, just stop. Stop pushing me away."_

_I only stare at her for a minute. But then I say, "I can't do that." And before she can utter another word, I storm out of the classroom just as the final bell rings._

I quickly walk out of the school and start my small journey to my house. I know I have to be home as soon as possible because Marcus said we have a dinner to attend to. I hate to admit it but I can't stop thinking about Tris the whole way. She's just so unbelievably and frustratingly stubborn. She can't mind her own business and it's going to get her hurt. That's why I don't let people in my life, they could get hurt and it would be all my fault. The minute I turn 18, I'm going to be out of the house and I'll never have to worry about this kind of stuff again. A person my age shouldn't have to worry about stuff like this, anyway. People my age are busy worrying about passing high school and getting into a good college, finding a girlfriend or boyfriend and thinking of what they want to do in the future.

Instead, I'm busy worrying about how mad Marcus is when I get home, how much of a punishing mood he's in. I'm busy worrying about hiding the bruises and sprained or broken bones, trying to think of excuses that no one will question.

I shake my head in disgust as I finally reach my front porch, opening the door and walking in quietly. My dad stands expectantly in the dining room.

"Get changed quickly, put something nice on. And you better not embarrass me," Marcus growls threateningly.

"Yes sir," I murmur before sprinting up the stairs to my bedroom. I place my backpack beside my desk, then walk to my closet and hurriedly pull out a white button up and nice black jeans. I quickly exchange the clothes I'm wearing for the nicer ones and then comb down my unruly brown hair. I place my shoes back on my feet and make my way back down the stairs to my waiting father.

He walks outside and gets in his truck, and I follow suit. I have no idea who we're supposed to be having dinner with but, of course, I know better than to open my mouth and ask. We only drive for about a minute before we pull onto a familiar street.

I watch in horror as we pull up in front of the same house I was at just yesterday. Tris' house.

**Tris' POV**

"Tris, Caleb, we forgot to tell you guys that we're having one of your father's friends from work and his son over for dinner. So please go change into something a little bit nicer and come back downstairs," My mother tells us politely.

We both nod before heading up the stairs to our rooms. I throw my backpack sloppily onto the bed before walking to the closet to find something nice to wear. I find a casual but still nice black and gray dress, and pull it off the hanger, laying it on the bed as I strip out of my current clothes. I throw the dress over my head and slip on a pair of flats. Then I grab my hairbrush and hastily brush through my tangles before going back downstairs to the kitchen. I notice my brother already ready and standing in the kitchen.

My dad appears suddenly as well. My mother is just finishing setting the table as the doorbell rings.

My father walks to the door and opens it as my brother and I politely stand behind our chairs at the table. We were taught not to sit until everyone is at the table.

I can't see our guests – who are still standing in the doorway – from my spot in the dining room. I hear my father talking animatedly with a voice I'm not familiar with. After a moment or so, an unfamiliar male walks in the room with someone partially hidden behind him.

"Marcus, this is my wife, son Caleb, and daughter Tris. Everyone, this is Marcus," My father introduces. "And this is his son…?"

"Introduce yourself, son," Marcus commands, as if he were talking to a dog.

I watch in complete and utter shock as _Four _steps out from behind Marcus.

"I'm Four," He mumbles.

"Tell them your real name, that's rude," Marcus says with a hard look.

"I'd rather not," He mutters, but at his father's furious expression, he quickly says, "I'm sorry. My name is Tobias."

I stare at him shock. I've been here for two days and I already know more about the mysterious Four than the rest of the school.

"Okay well, Tris why don't you give Tobias a tour of the house while I finish setting the table?" My mother suggests to break the awkward silence that has settled in the room.

I nod and grab Four's hand, dragging him out of the room and up the stairs where the adults have no chance of hearing us. When I stop in the hallway upstairs, he roughly jerks his hand out of mine.

He glares at me harshly, arms crossed menacingly and I flinch in surprise. I have never seen a gaze so filled with hatred.

"I'm not going to tell anyone," I say, because I know that's the source of the current problem. Even though he's trying not to show it, he's only acting so hateful right now because he doesn't want anyone to find out the secrets he's tried so hard to keep.

His stance falters at that and his arms fall to his sides as he looks at me in cautious disbelief, "And why should I believe you?"

"Because I've done nothing but try to be your friend since I got here. I know this is something you've tried your hardest to keep hidden and I won't ruin it just because you happen to be forced to accompany your father to dinner at my house. I promise I won't tell anyone, you're just going to have to trust me," I tell him.

"Trust isn't something I give away easily," Four responds cryptically.

I smile sadly, "And I wish I knew why so I could help. But I haven't done anything to make you not trust me so you're just going to have to give me a chance."

He searches my face, trying to determine if I mean what I say, I guess. After a moment, he slowly nods, "I guess I don't have much of a choice, anyway."

I smile at him softly and begin to head back down the stairs.

"Tris," Four calls quietly. I spin back around and look at him expectantly. "Thank you," He says, somewhat shyly.

I nod with a small smile and wave at him, indicating that he should follow me back downstairs.

When we get back to the dining room, everyone is ready so we all take our seats. I end up between Caleb and my father with Four across from me and his father across from my father. My mother sits between Marcus and my dad.

"So Tobias, what school to you go to?" My mother asks politely.

Four clears his throat, "I go to Divergent High School, ma'am."

"Oh, really? So do Tris and Caleb. What grade are you in?" My dad inquires.

"I'm a junior, sir," He answers quietly.

"So are Tris and Caleb. Do you guys have any classes together?" My mom asks.

I speak up to save Four from having to do all the talking, "We have Chemistry and English together. He doesn't have any classes with Caleb."

I took a guess on the last part and I guess I'm right because neither Caleb nor Four correct me.

"So I know Andrew works at the police department but what do you do for a living, Natalie?" Marcus asks with a grin that sends shivers down my spine for some reason.

"Oh, I work at the hospital," My mother answers with a polite smile.

My dad starts a conversation with Marcus and my mom joins in occasionally. Caleb, Four, and I eat in relative silence. I eat my peas and study Four as I do so. He is too engrossed in his thinking to notice and glare at me. I can only see the top half of his body due to him being seated at the table, but I let my eyes trace the muscles that I can see through his tight button up shirt. He absentmindedly chews on his chicken and I watch his Adam's apple bob as he swallows. It's then that I notice a dark shadow peeking out of the collar of his shirt. It's barely noticeable but it looks like part of a bruise.

I lightly kick his feet under the table and his eyes snap to mine. I rub my neck in the exact place where his bruise is showing and give him a questioning look. His hand immediately covers the bruise and his face fleetingly shows a look of horror before he composes himself and shrugs, pulling the collar of his shirt up a bit so the bruise is now hidden.

I decide not to question his since he might yell and start a commotion if I do. A few minutes later, everyone is through with their dinner and my dad walks Marcus and Four to the door. I wave goodbye and wait until they walk out the door before heading upstairs to my room.

**Tobias' POV**

When we get in my father's truck, I know by his expression that I've done something to piss him off and I'll have hell to pay as soon as we get home.

I keep deadly quiet the short drive home and when he pulls into the driveway, we both get out and walk inside. I don't even bother trying to escape to my room because I know what's coming.

"You were very disrespectful when we arrived, Tobias," My father says quietly though gritted teeth. "I don't appreciate that."

Before I have time to do or say anything, Marcus roughly grabs my shoulder and throws me on the ground. He kicks me twice, rapidly and I groan as I feel pain radiate through my side. He pulls back his leg again, aiming for my face but I shout, "Wait! Not the face, I have school tomorrow."

He pauses and nods, "You're right. Take off your shirt."

I sigh and grimace as I unbutton my shirt, laying it aside. I kneel with my back facing Marcus, and my head down, staring at the floor.

I hear the clicks as Marcus removes his belt. Then he says, "This is for your own good."

I hiss in pain and grit my teeth as I feel the first bite of the belt against my skin.

After a few more torturous minutes, Marcus must grow tired because he leaves to his room without a word. I grab my shirt and wince as I slowly try to stand up.

I walk up the stairs and to my room, collapsing on the bed in agonizing pain.

I don't know how much longer I can take this, how much more I can take before I break.

**A/N: Awh dang, Tris knows a lot and Tobias is not happy! Writing these scenes with Marcus makes me sad, like I just want to steal Tobias and cuddle him and make him feel loved. But anyway, how was this chapter? Please let me know your favorite parts or do you have any favorite quotes so far? I'd be especially interested in hearing if you have any favorite quotes! As always, thank you for reading and stay awesome!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I know, I know. I haven't updated in like 2 weeks. And I know I always make excuses. But I was camping with my friend and I didn't have WiFi. Also, school started for me so updates will only be weekends! Anyway, I know all of y'all really just want Tobias to tell Tris the truth already but if you think about it, they've known each other for about two days. That is not long enough to tell someone your deepest darkest secret. The time will come, guys, I promise. But the more I rush this story, the faster it's going to end. We don't want that, right? Thank you guys so much for all the kind reviews, I have 120 for only 4 chapters. That's crazy, it's like 30 reviews a chapter! And thank you for being patient and always kind. Y'all mean the world to me. I really hope you enjoy this new chapter and again, I'm so sorry for the wait!**

Tris' POV

The next day at school, I walk into Chemistry and sit down in my seat beside Four. Even though I now know his real name, I refuse to say it, even in my head because I know that he wants to go by Four. He's kept his real name hidden for a reason and it's not my right to disregard that.

He glances over at me and I smile slightly at him. He just turns and faces the front of the classroom. And for the rest of the class, he doesn't even slightly move in my direction.

xXx

When Chemistry is over, I head to U.S. History feeling confused. Yes, Four is like that with everyone but he's slightly different around me. Maybe he's still concerned that I won't keep his secret.

I walk into the classroom and take my seat beside Christina. She studies my face for a moment before saying, "What's wrong with you?"

I shrug, "It's nothing."

She sighs in return, "Okay, Trissy. Don't tell me."

I groan and look over at her, "I promise, it's not important but I do appreciate your concern, Christina."

That seems to appease her because she smiles at me and then class starts.

xXx

"I really hate that class," Christina tells me as we walk to lunch.

I nod in agreement because truthfully, it is pretty awful. The teacher never stops talking, making it nearly impossible to take notes. On top of that, we get way too much homework every night.

We reach the picnic table we always sit at and I sit on the end of the bench, beside Marlene.

I've developed a habit over the past two days of always looking to the tree where Four always sits during lunch. That's why when I glance over there now, I'm not surprised to see him already sitting in the shade of the oak tree.

However, I am surprised when he crooks his finger in the universal sign for _come here._

I stare at him in disbelief for a moment before Marlene says, "Is he asking you to go over there?"

"Um… Yeah, I guess so. Maybe he needs help with English homework or something…" I stutter out a quick excuse.

I can feel the eyes of my friends boring into my back as I walk slowly and deliberately towards Four. When I reach him, I stand awkwardly in front of him, shifting my weight from foot to foot nervously. I am not used to him making an effort to interact with me, it is always the other way around.

"I thought that maybe you'd like to sit with me today?" Four asks, sounding quite nervous.

I sigh in relief that he's being friendly, and then plop down beside him on the shady grass.

I pull two apples out of my bag and hold out one for Four to take. He stares at it in confusion so I explain, "Over the past two days, I've noticed you never eat anything. So I brought you an apple."

He opens his mouth to protest but I glare at him harshly and he takes the apple without a word. I take the other apple, the one for myself, and take a large bite out of it. Four only stares at his.

"I promise I'm not a wicked stepmother, I didn't poison the apple," I say jokingly.

He huffs out a short laugh, "You're too pretty to be Snow White's wicked stepmother."

After the words come out, he slaps his hand over his mouth. My jaw is slack in disbelief.

"I'm sorry. Sometimes I don't have a filter and I say whatever I think…" He mumbles.

I recover my wit and grin at him, "It's okay. That was nice of you to say. Thank you."

He smiles back and hesitantly takes a bite of the apple I gave him.

"See, this friendship thing is working out well so far," I say with a smirk.

He sighs, "You really shouldn't be friends with me."

I swallow thickly, "Why do you always say stuff like that?"

"Because my life is dangerous, Tris. For reasons that I'm not going to tell you. But you'd be better off if you did what everyone else did and left me alone," Four says, never moving his eyes from the ground.

I shake my head, "You haven't been pushing me away today, don't start now."

He sighs in frustration and a few minutes of silence between us passes. Then he breaks the silence by saying, "You know I didn't believe you at first."

My eyebrows crinkle in confusion before realization passes over me. "About keeping your secret?" I ask, just to make sure I'm correct.

He nods, "I thought you were going to go to school and tell everyone, just to get back at me for being so rude to you. But you didn't. Well, I assume you didn't, being that the day is half over and no one has approached me about it."

He stares at me for a long moment, as if he's appraising me and I watch his Adams apple bob as he swallows, "You're not like everyone else. You're different."

I look down shyly. I never really expected to receive compliments from Four of all people. I thought I'd be lucky if I ever heard him say hello without a hint of bitterness.

Before anything else can be said, the bell rings signaling that lunch is over. I sling my backpack over my shoulder and shoot a smile at Four before hopping up and racing off to Calculus.

**A/N: I know it's so short and I'm sorry. I'm so tired and I have a lot of homework to do and I can't concentrate at the moment because my mind is racing. I hope you're at least somewhat pleased with this chapter. I would really appreciate some encouraging reviews right now! And if anyone wants to buy me a Panic! At The Disco t-shirt, that what be great too. XD But I love you guys, please please review so I'll be more motivated!**

**By the way, I changed the picture for this story! I actually drew Tobias in that picture! I hope you like it!(:**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Oh my goodness gracious, look who is FINALLY BACK. I hope all of you are as excited as I am. I really don't have time to update this weekend because I have to write 8 essays, a short story, and some math homework, but I miss you guys so much that I just couldn't resist. I am so incredibly sorry for leaving you guys for so long, it broke my heart. But life is stressful and unfortunately, I have to put school first. But thank you to every single person who voted for me in the Dashner Army General contest, I wish I could send you all cookies. I don't know if I've won yet, we'll find out October 9 but with my luck, probably not. But it was fun trying. I love you all so so much and I hope you enjoy this long overdo chapter. (:**

I wake up on Friday with a smile because I've almost completely survived my first week at a new high school. I've made friends, had no drama, and I've even got Four to open up the tiniest bit. So all in all, it's been a fairly successful first week.

I quickly get out of bed, following through with my morning routine to get ready for school. Even though I hate to admit it, I'm excited to see Four because he was almost friendly yesterday. There's no telling how he'll act today, if he'll go back to his rude self or stay the semi-nice one, but I'm hoping for the latter.

Once I'm dressed decently enough, I go downstairs and grab a granola bar from the pantry before snatching my car keys off the counter and heading to the garage. I climb in my car and drive to school with a grin on my face.

xXx

When I arrive at school, I park my car and grab my belongings before walking to Chemistry. I head towards the back of the classroom and hesitantly take my seat beside Four. I glance at him, suddenly nervous as to how he's going to act today. He notices my glance and a very small smile graces his lips before he turns back towards the front. Class starts before I have a chance to dwell on his mood shift.

When Chemistry is over, I go to U.S. History which passes by in a blur. Then I head to the thing I've been anticipating all day – lunch. I'm not sure if Four will invite me over to sit with him again but I do plan on talking to him for at least a few minutes to prove that I'm not giving up on the friendship thing.

I walk with Christina to the table we always sit at now, already occupied by our other friends. Just before I sit down, I instinctively glance to the tree where Four sits and I see him already looking at me. He smiles and beckons me over, patting the ground beside him. I stare in shock for a moment before smiling back and holding up a finger, signaling I'd be there in a moment.

"I think Four wants me to sit with him today so I'll see you guys later," I tell my friends.

"Go Tris, get some!" Zeke shouts, waggling his eyebrows. I snort and roll my eyes.

"Have fun, Trissy!" Christina says with a wink, shoving me in the direction of Four.

I laugh but walk away, heading towards Four's tree. I plop down beside him, casting my book bag aside.

"Hey Four," I say with a grin.

He raises his eyebrows, "You seem to be in an awfully good mood today."

I shrug, "It's been a good first week, that's all."

"Ah," He says, nodding his head. He stares at the ground as he begins to speak, "Well, I've been thinking…"

"Don't strain yourself," I joke, even though we both know he's smart.

I watch as he cracks a smile, "No, I mean about the friendship thing…"

This catches my attention and I perk up. "Yes?" I inquire with a hopeful expression.

"I've been such a jerk to you since I first met you that I still don't understand why you would ever want to be my friend. But you're very insistent," He shakes his head, laughing a bit.

Then he looks up from the ground, eyes blazing, "Tris, if you'd be willing to give me a second chance, I'd like to start over and try to be your friend."

My eyes widen in disbelief and I manage to choke out, "Are you serious?"

"I'm very serious," He says, glancing once again at the ground.

I clear my throat, trying to gather my bearings, "That sounds nice."

He smiles the most radiant smile and I can't help but notice how it illuminates his eyes. "Well for starters, I think I'd like you to call me my real name. But only when we're alone, of course."

I can't stop the smirk that spreads across my face, "So you plan on being alone with me a lot then?"

Four rolls his eyes but says, "My dad will be out of town this weekend so I'm free if you want to hangout or something."

I smile widely, "I'd like that, Four."

He looks at me, mock sternly, "Tobias."

I grin and nod, "Right. Tobias. Got it."

"So do you have a cell phone?" I inquire.

He nods so I grab a pen from my backpack and hold my hand out. Tobias looks at me, obviously confused.

"Give me your hand so I can write my number on it," I explain.

"Oh," He says, hesitantly reaching his hand towards mine.

I grab it firmly in mine and briefly gasp at the feeling touching him gives me. Butterflies immediately ignite and swarm in my gut, overflowing my senses. I try to suppress it as I shake my head and clear my throat. I quickly uncap the pen and scrawl my number across his hand in my chicken scratch handwriting. I release his hand and he holds it to his chest, seemingly unconsciously rubbing it.

It makes me wonder if he felt the connection too but of course I don't ask about it. The bell rings and I silently curse, wishing I could sit here and talk with Tobias longer.

Instead, I stand up and grab my things, quickly waving goodbye to Tobias as I walk to Calculus.

**A/N: Okay, I know it's a lot shorter than normal, but give me some credit, I'm trying my best here. I have so much I have to do today and tomorrow. I'll try to have a chapter posted for Oneshots of A Fourtris Life but I'm not going to be making any promises. I hope you guys liked this chapter albeit how short it was. And again, thank you to everyone who voted for me, it means a lot. Have a beautiful week and please leave me some inspiring reviews!**


	7. My laptop is broken uh oh

**A/N: Just so you guys know, I haven't abandoned you again. I have the worst luck and my laptop broke last week. I'm going to see if it's fixable this Friday but if it isn't, then you guys will have to wait until I can save up enough money to buy a new laptop. I'm sorry to disappoint you guys time after time, but I had nothing to do with this one. I will return ASAP and I love every single one of you.**

**And just FYI to anyone who cares, I did make it to the top ten of that contest. I got the 3rd most votes thanks to all of you. But I didn't win the Grand Prize. That doesn't matter though because I never even imagined making it to the top ten. You guys are the best.(:**

**So I'll try to get a new laptop or figure something out. Until then, I'll miss you all. **

**Love always,DivergentObsessor**


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